


The Ties That Bind

by Oodles



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe, Demon Hunter Rude, Demon Hunters, Demons, M/M, Succubus Reno, Trans Character, ongoing, twitter votes determining outcomes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:41:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23448709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oodles/pseuds/Oodles
Summary: Reno is a succubus, Rude is a demon hunter. Can I make it any more obvious?
Relationships: Rude/Reno
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	The Ties That Bind

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is being determined via votes on my twitter account @oodleswrites  
> each section that ends with - that guy means it was the start of a new thread on twitter. hopefully it doesn’t read too weirdly! I did extremely minor editing for flow but it’s mostly appearing as it did on twitter originally. enjoy!

Upper Midgar started out as a beacon of humanity and growth and industry which quickly spiraled into the perfect hunting ground for demons in need of a vessel. a plague of demonic possessions led to the demon hunters taking up every available weapon

By the time Upper Midgar was safe again, the damage had long been done beneath their feet. All of that food led to the settling of Lower Midgar, the demonic mirror of the human city directly above it. Now they coexist uneasily. Hunters are largely responsible for Upper Midgar.

Lower Midgar became home to countless demons due to the mere proximity to so much human life. Sometimes it's enough just to be close to it. But, some demons are still desperate enough to wander upwards and risk their chances for a hot meal. Most hunters are employed by the city.

But some work on contract for more specialized work. Some hunters even brave Lower Midgar themselves if they’re strong enough. To rescue kidnapped humans, or to go after the particularly vile demons that hide amongst their own kind because they know it makes them harder to kill.

Rude gained a reputation for tracking down demons. He’s not necessarily the strongest or the fastest hunter around, but he has a knack for stealth and keeping himself alive. He’s also made enough trips down to Lower Midgar that he has a couple trusted sources of information.

He’s good at being able to sense demons. A possible side effect of the number of times he’s nearly been killed by them, and the sheer volume of demon blood he’s swallowed over his years of fighting. A lot of hunters have tragic backstories. Rude’s is a little more bizarre.

His relationship with Lower Midgar has earned him the honorable displeasure of Scarlet, who calls herself a queen among demons. She’s considered the matriarch of the succubi & incubi, the one who’s been around the longest and is cruel enough to step on her own kind to stay alive.

There’s a divide in both sides of Midgar between those who want to coexist and those who wish to stay separated. Despite the fact that he’s a hunter, Rude doesn’t think there’s a point to separation. Scarlet finds all humans detestable, probably because she needs them to live.

Rude and Scarlet have something that she calls a ‘relationship’ where she sends someone to try and kill him every couple of months and he does his best to send them back to her alive enough to relay the message: leave me alone. Truthfully, he doesn’t love this work, but she does.

After many dispatched assassins and unfortunate attempts at possession, Rude went half a year without any Scarlet visitors and he’d begun to think maybe he’d finally gotten her off of his back. But he wasn’t dumb enough to relax. He hasn’t done that in a very long time.

Rude keeps a close guard of his own apartment, but he knows there is no perfect system to prevent a strong or a stupid demon from weaseling inside your home. Most of the city employed hunters live in Sector Three, but a hunter like himself lives in Sector 7.

-

Rude lives in Sector 7, away from the city employed hunters, and closer to the entrance to Lower Midgar. Even though he’s not given the same recognition as the top Shinra hunters, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t done favors for certain high level officials.

Sector 7 has its perks, and Rude isn’t complaining about being farther from the more regulated hunting circles. But 7 is the most densely packed sector, and there are times when the smell of tobacco is so thick in the air that it masks the smokey scent of a demon low on food.

For that reason alone, he opted for an apartment higher off the ground, but even still, he never opens the windows unless he has to. One particular ritual he can’t help has him smoking with his forearms on the windowsill, breath to the wind. Long as it’s not inside the walls.

It makes him heavy, so he shuts the window and goes to bed, wondering yet again if something shifted in Lower Midgar to get Scarlet to forget about him. She’s not one to let go of grudges. Still, he settles in for the night with the smell of burning spice in his nose.

Waking up in the middle of the night, before he even opens his eyes, he knows there’s something in the apartment. Cinnamon and static. It’s too vivid to be a dream. Even careful precautions sometimes aren’t enough, but he really isn’t expecting to find the damn thing in his bed.

Rude opens his eyes, magnetized right away to a delighted face beside his. A demon he’s never seen before, and judging by the marks under the eyes, one that’s been around long enough to know who Rude is. You have to earn those marks in Lower Midgar. Rude sits up a little.

“Are you fucking stupid?” he asks, because it’s all he can think to ask.

The demon props (his?) chin in his hands. “Me?”

Rude is reaching for the closest knife. “Yeah, you. The demon in my bed.”

The demon grins, lifting crossed ankles into the air like he’s just there to chat.

“Do you want me to be stupid?”

Of course the demon is naked, laying over the covers like he belongs there, which has Rude thinking Scarlet is just changing tactics. A mistake on her part. Hand around the knife tucked nearest to the mattress, Rude shows the blade to the demon.

“Do I need to tell you that you’re not welcome here?” Rude asks.

The demon’s eyes flash, he gives a small frantic laugh and then immediately rolls onto his back, head tilted back to expose his neck. 

“Better do it quick,” he (she?) says. The demon points to their own throat.

Rude heaves a sigh. “What’s your name?”

The demon raises their brow at Rude, still looking at him upside down. “Really?”

“I just want to know which you are,” Rude says, gesturing to the demon’s body. 

The demon pouts. “You just want to know what you killed.”

Rude frowns back.

“I want to know how to ask about you so I can figure out who was dumb enough to try this plan. There’s no way you just wandered in here, I don’t make it easy, which means someone sent you, ‘cause someone thought I was dumb enough to fall for a... succubus or incubus. Can’t tell.”

The demon grins at Rude, flipping back over to rest his chin on Rude’s leg. 

“Wow! He’s respectful AND a skilled hunter. Rare these days. Name’s Reno. Lower Migdar’s favorite male succubus. Nice to meet you, contract hunter Rude. Nice place you got here. Smells like honey.”

Reno holds his hand out to shake, but Rude knows how this works. Still, the introduction is unique. Scarlet’s assassins hardly ever bother with so many words. He can shake Reno’s hand and see if there’s more to this conversation, or he can throw the demon out already. 

-

Rude sets the knife on the nightstand, slowly, to make his point. He raises his hand but he doesn’t touch the demon yet.

“I’ll know if you try to take anything,” Rude warns.

Reno’s eyes are bright— not in a demonic way either, just in a curious one.

Reno takes Rude’s hand in both of his, gripping tight. “I’ll be nice.”

Immediately Rude focuses on the skin to skin contact, but he doesn’t feel the pull of a feed, so he relaxes. Reno, on the other hand, grins at Rude’s fingers. “Oh! Who’s that? Feels like you got a mark of your own.”

Rude withdraws his hand.

“No one,” Rude tells him. “Lots of demons make that mistake.”

Reno goes back to chin-propped-in-his-hands, leaning on his elbows, like they’re friends just gossiping. “Well, no wonder Scarlet wants you downstairs. That much demon blood in a human usually means you play for us.”

Rude shrugs, slightly worried at the clarity of Reno’s senses. “She tried, but I like living in the sunlight. What are you doing here, Reno?”

Reno’s still smiling. “Scarlet’s tired of wasting all that energy healing up foot soldiers. She hopes grease works better than blood.”

Rude stares at the naked demon. “You’re kidding. She really thinks I’m gonna cave over a bribe that could kill me if he wanted?”

Reno grins. “I would never. I can’t feed off a corpse and besides. I’m not allowed to feed on you at all.” He reaches out to boop Rude’s nose. “Duh.”

Rude pulls himself up a little more, bending his knees to put some space between them. Reno’s entire aura is oddly quiet. Usually, Rude would have gleaned a demon’s intent by now. A succubus would have that sickly sweet tinge to their voice, the kind that lulls you like alcohol.

Reno feels like... talking to a human. Like an absence of sound. It’s not right for a demon. The last time Rude felt that kind of quiet, the demon was dying and it wasn’t pretty. It puts Rude on edge as he wonders why Reno isn’t being more aggressive. Not allowed to feed on him?

“So Scarlet sent you as a peace offering?” Rude asks.

Reno nods, rising up to hook an arm lazily around Rude’s bent leg. “Yup. I’m like a singing telegram.”

“What’s your message?” Rude asks, studying the marks under Reno’s eyes, actively avoiding staring at his naked body.

“Scarlet thinks you and her could be a lot more productive as coworkers,” Reno says, stretching his legs out because the intent is still to seduce, even if he’s not allowed to feed off it. “She wanted me to give you an offer. And also to convince you to come work for her.”

Rude studies Reno’s face. Everything that should be working toward luring Rude in falls flat without the usual demonic aura. Like a piano gone out of tune. Something is wrong with Reno’s magic, and Rude suspects why. He leans forward to ask,

“What if I want you to feed on me?”

Reno’s eyes pop open, back straightening, before he tries to reign himself in. “Wh-what?”

“Maybe I want you to feed on me,” Rude says, inching forward, watching for a tell. 

Reno keeps his mouth shut, but Rude feels his fingers bunching up the fabric of Rude’s sweatpants.

“That’s... a shame,” Reno’s gaze is fixed on Rude’s mouth. 

That static electricity emanating from him is beginning to build in intensity. Heat lightning. 

He’s _starving_.

Rude is almost sure he knows what’s going on, he just needs to force Reno to make a mistake. He moves fast.

Rude grabs Reno’s face, kissing him quick and holding him there. Reno makes this surprised noise, and as much as Rude wants to watch for the reaction he needs, he shuts his eyes so Reno doesn’t have anything to focus on besides his mouth. Reno goes stock still in Rude’s hands.

It’s hard to tell if it’s working from the stiffness in Reno’s body and Rude begins to worry he took the wrong chance, until he feels just the slightest pull along skin, like that static creeping in closer. Reno, testing the edges, wondering how much he can get away with taking.

Rude lightens his grip, parts his lips, and Reno cracks. He throws his arms around Rude’s neck, but the second that static begins to sink into Rude’s skin, pulling at him, Reno jerks away from Rude with a hiss. Black smoke billows out of his mouth and he curses.

“Sonofa... ow.”

He looks back at Rude with the blunt edges of two broken horns protruding from his wild red hair.

“You broke my glamor.”

Rude folds his arms. “Scarlet’s got you bound. Judging by the smoke, she made you swallow something?”

Reno’s lips go thin and he huffs in response.

“And you can’t talk about it,” Rude guesses. “Definitely swallowed. Hold on.”

Reno just watches as Rude disappears from his room to his ‘office’, searching through his supplies. He returns to offer Reno a small bottle of clear liquid. 

“It’ll hurt, but this’ll get you to spit that up.”

Reno wastes no time, snatching the bottle out of Rude’s hand and downing the contents. Immediately that black smoke starts pouring out of his mouth, hunched over and coughing like he’s dying. Rude opens the windows as the smoke creates a thick haze through the room.

It takes a minute for the smoke to clear and the coughing to die down, but he finds Reno sitting on the edge of the bed. Some of the smoke lingers, shifts, and solidifies around Reno’s body. Black pants and a black shirt. He looks up at Rude with a tired smile. “Thank you.”

Rude knows he must be hurting.

-

Rude looks Reno over. “You okay?”

Reno takes a deep breath. “Feels like I coughed up some glass.”

“Sorry about that. I don’t really have anything for you, but you can stay here while you heal. Should be safe.”

Reno’s eyes slowly get wider as Rude talks.

“You unbind me... apologize for my pain... and offer me shelter?”

Reno looks a little starstruck as Rude nods to confirm. 

Faster than his eyes can follow, Reno crosses the feet of space between them and locks his arms around Rude’s neck. Rude tenses up, expecting a fight, but—

“What a nice human!” Reno squishes his cheek to Rude’s. 

Rude expects that pull at any moment that signals Reno is trying to feed, but it doesn’t come. 

Reno lets him go and drops to the floor. “I promise I’ll repay you. You... you saved me!” 

Rude looks the demon over again.

“It’s not an issue,” Rude tries to say but Reno claps his hands together. 

“I may only be a weak, terrible demon but if you do me one little favor... I’ll change my ways! I’ll be a good demon. I swear.”

Rude raises his brow. “A favor?”

Reno somehow makes his eyes seem bigger.

“If you let me feed, I’ll heal right up and I’ll get my magic back. We can be like partners! I’ll keep your house safe. If I mark this place, no other demon will be dumb enough to try. I promise.”

Rude stares at him. It’s so obvious, he can’t help but think that it’s sincere.

“You’re asking to feed on me.” Rude clarifies, arms crossed.

Reno mimics a prayer, hands raised. “I could tell earlier. You have a really strong soul so I’d only need a little. Please? Did I mention how nice you are? Definitely my favorite human, by far.”

So shameless.

“I’m just... really cold,” Reno goes on, and Rude hears the desperation in his voice.

Demons go cold when they only feed on each other. It staves off death but can leave them powerless if it goes on for too long. 

Those pleading eyes beneath broken horns really are too much.

“Only enough so you heal,” Rude starts and Reno zips back over, arms around his neck again. 

“I promise, this is my first step toward reform.”

Reno isn’t heavy, but he definitely has weight to him hanging off of Rude like that. He doesn’t leave room for questions between them.

All of Scarlet’s demons, incubus and succubus alike, are able to feed off of humans through any skin to skin contact, so feeling Reno’s hands around Rude’s head as he kisses Rude has him a little worried that he gave an inch when he shouldn’t have. 

Still, Reno feeds lightly.

The feeling pulls across his tongue as Reno tastes him, and he almost can’t tell it’s happening, except for the immediate ache that springs up in the center of his forehead. He does keep his eyes open that time, surprised to see Reno’s shut tight with this blissful sigh.

Rude can feel every one of Reno’s fingertips going warm against his skin. Reno’s body is getting lighter too. It’s halfway tempting to let him keep going. But of course a succubus is good at this. A starving succubus trying to get warm. A succubus sent by Scarlet. 

_Oh shit._

Just when Rude thinks it’s time to stop feeding the demon, Reno drops to the floor with a laugh, stumbling like a drunk back to the bed where he sits heavily. “Much better.”

Rude winces at the pain spreading through his head. “Tell me I didn’t just sharpen the knife at my neck.”

Reno looks at Rude, head tilted to the side. “You’re the one with the knife.”

“Figure of speech,” Rude deadpans. 

Reno looks charmed. “I like how you talk. I’ll mark your place, okay? Make sure no one worms their way in.”

“Wait, wait.” Rude holds his hand up and Reno freezes.

“How do I know you’re not just leading Scarlet here?”

Reno shakes his head several times. “If Scarlet finds out I coughed up her contract, she’ll rip me to pieces! No thank you! I’ll take my chances with the nice, handsome human.”

Rude still can’t tell if Reno is lying.

Reno’s magic is definitely settling back into place. He taps a finger against each stub of horn and they vanish from view. He looks relieved at that. Next he flexes little claws in and out of his fingertips like a cat. When he catches Rude staring, he smiles. 

“Pretty.”

“Don’t do that,” Rude says, though it’s getting harder to think with the migraine spiraling down his head. 

“Don’t do what?”

“That, the... grease,” Rude tries to say and Reno laughs.

Suddenly there are hands on his shoulders. 

“Sleep that off, okay? I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

Reno is guiding him back to the bed.

The covers are nice. Warm. The demon smells like cinnamon and a gathering storm as he kisses Rude’s forehead.

Reno sighs. “I don’t mind owing my life to someone as handsome as you.”

A memory paws at the back of Rude’s mind. Life debts. Blood.

-

Pleading dreams. Not nightmares, but the weight of grief and someone else’s sadness bleeding into him. _It’s the only way, you know, you know._

The second time Rude wakes up, the demon is seated beside him, legs crossed, hands planted on the bed, watching.

“You have loud dreams,” Reno says.

Rude makes a noise and starts pulling himself out of bed. “How’d your mark hold up?”

“Perfectly,” Reno says, big smiles. “I missed my magic. You really got me out of a drought there.”

Rude shuffles off to get food and Reno darts after him.

Rude hunts through his fridge for something to eat, finds nothing, settles for a banana instead. “I take this to mean you’re all healed?”

Reno perches on the counter and Rude leans against the wall across from him in the narrow kitchen.

“I haven’t felt this alive in years.”

“Glad my migraine was worth it,” Rude mutters.

Reno shrugs. “It’ll get easier for us both. I’ll be a little less hazy, you’ll feel less pain—”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Rude warns. “Sure are getting comfy over there.”

Reno stares, wide eyed. “Are you not in love with me?”

Rude stares right back. “No.”

Reno frowns, huffs, turns away. “It’s fine. I’ll work on it.”

Ignoring that, Rude tells him, “I’ll take you to Tseng’s okay? He’ll have space for you.”

Now Reno looks downright hurt, pouting at Rude. “You’re gonna leave me in a freezer!?”

Rude tosses the banana peel in the trash can. “If you really want to... work with me, you have to give me a little space, okay? You already gave yourself free entry to my apartment whenever you wanted with that mark. You can’t live here. Yeah it’s a freezer, but it’s safe.”

Reno folds his arms with a sigh. Rude still doesn’t pick up on even the slightest hint of aggression from him. That cinnamon scent is ebbing away too, and now there is just an impossible aura of a slightly cloudy day around him.

“I can come visit you, though, right?” Reno asks.

Rude wants to laugh at this busted demon. There is so obviously some part of him that’s been wired wrong. Never in his life has he heard a succubus ask about love, let alone professional partnerships. He had to pry that trust out of Tseng’s cold fingers a few years back.

But there is nothing that feels remotely dangerous about Reno at this moment. 

Against his better judgement, Rude says, “I doubt I could stop you.”

Reno laughs before trying to compose himself. “I just don’t want you to be mad at me.”

“We’ll, uh, cross that bridge I guess.”

After physically removing Reno from his room, Rude dresses for the trip downstairs. He feels the presence of Reno’s mark right at the front door, kicks up the edge of his doormat and sees the edges of a handprint on the floor.

“Do you mind if I change shape?” Reno asks, sheepish.

“Nah.”

Reno walks right up to him and reaches up like he’s going to hug Rude again before there is a little crackle in the air and he feels a snake coiling around his neck. Reno rests his head atop Rude’s and sighs. When he speaks, it carries like a radio through Rude’s thoughts.

“You trust this Tseng?”

“I do,” Rude says, heading outside. 

Reno goes quiet, coiling tighter as they walk toward the entrance to Lower Midgar. Situated in a defunct subway entrance, the stairs become steeper, the lights dimmer, until they reach a point where his steps go silent.

At the darkest part of the stairwell, Rude feels a wave of heat before they emerge on the streets of Lower Midgar. He makes sure not to hesitate as he keeps walking. The last thing he wants to do is draw attention to his own humanity down here. 

But of course, someone is waiting.

It takes ten minutes before Rude notices their tail, and right when he’s thinking about addressing them, Reno uncoils to shift back to his human form. Feet planted on Rude’s shoulders, he grabs Rude’s face and tilts it back toward his.

“Two of Scarlet’s. Should I take care of it?”

-

Rude knows the smart thing to do is protect the demon he just freed, but he’s too curious to see what Reno is capable of.

“Alright,” he says and Reno grins.

“One more should do,” Reno says and steals another kiss. This time Rude feels every point of contact between their bodies.

Rude’s skin buzzes before Reno breaks off with a sigh. He hops down from Rude’s shoulders, spinning around to face the empty street. Rude knows this mirror city only sprung up in reflection of Midgar proper. There aren’t any cars or subways or trains down here, only mimicry.

“Scarlet must miss me,” Reno says. “And here I thought she wanted me dead.”

He chuckles as two demons shimmer into view. Glamours are always harder to maintain after your cover’s been blown. They both look at Reno with neutral expressions.

“Of course she wants you back.”

The one who speaks holds a rope threaded between their fingers. “She sent us to wait for you. In case you had trouble.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet of her.” Reno walks toward them and Rude hangs back. “Silly me, thinking she sent me to such a strong hunter so he’d finally kill me.”

The pale skinned demon pulls the rope taut between their hands. “Careful Reno.”

Reno tilts his head. “You’re not thinking of tying me up are you? I’m kinda trying to impress this human and that’d be pretty embarrassing.” He points back at Rude. “Look... he’s so handsome.”

The demons exchange dubious glances. Their dark red jackets, symbols of their allegiance to Scarlet, carry subtle protective magic spells, but Reno either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. He’s right in front of them now.

“Are you breaking ties with us Reno?” The pale demon asks.

“Oh, yes, sorry if that wasn’t clear.” Reno laughs. “So bad with my words.”

“You always were a little off, weren’t you?” The pale one asks.

“Yeah but I also had a meal and a nap last night so I feel fantastic! You guys think you can kill me so easy when Scarlet couldn’t get me?”

The pale demon begins stretching the rope, pulling impossible lengths out of thin air. “We only need you to swallow another charm.”

Reno starts rubbing his palms together like he wants to start a fire. The demons both tense. Reno frowns at his hands, nothing happening. “C’mon.”

The demons look pleased as Reno glances back at Rude. ”Shit, this is embarrassing. I swear I used to be good at this! Don’t judge me!”

Finally, a crackle of electricity sparks up his hands and he heaves a sigh. “There we go.”

The demons immediately spring into action.

Reno is a blur as he zips away, snagging the end of the rope meant to ensnare him and using it to bind the pale demon’s hands. The second demon with rosy pink skin hisses at Reno but before they can attack, Reno shifts into a snake large enough to sink fangs into their neck.

The demon shrieks and Reno falls into a crouch, human shaped. He spits onto the street. “Your blood tastes like acid, what the hell have you been eating?”

Both demons lay prone on their sides and Reno looks at his hands and back at Rude. “Oops. Shocked ‘em a little too hard.”

Just as quick, Reno zips back to Rude and locks his arms around Rude’s neck, hanging off him, legs hitching around Rude’s waist. “All safe and sound, right?”

Instinct has Rude taking Reno’s legs like he’s giving a piggyback ride. “Guess so.”

Reno nuzzles his face to Rude’s head. “Told you I’d be a good partner.”

“Should we do something with them?” Rude asks, looking back at the unconscious demons. 

“Who cares about them?” Reno asks. “They’ll just wake up and go cry to Scarlet about how mean I am. We’ll have enough of a start while they nap.”

Rude hums at that. If what Reno says is true—

That he’s powerful enough that Scarlet couldn’t kill him herself. It almost makes sense, the terribly obvious plan. She was hoping Rude would kill Reno for her. Reno must be some kind of special...

Reno makes a noise like he’s trying to cough. “So gross...”

-

Rude hitches Reno up a little higher to get a better grip. “Let’s get you out of here. Are you gonna be okay?”

Reno rests his chin on Rude’s head. “I think so. I didn’t swallow any. Scarlet must have a new diet for her soldiers… they’re faster than I remember.”

A relief. Rude still carries him, just in case. Lower Midgar has three main focal points. Ever since the hunters upstairs made it inhospitable, most well-to-do demons make their homes further from the stairway, which makes the surrounding area much better for demons like Tseng.

His building is a safe haven for cold demons, a place to hide and find others to willingly feed off of to keep themselves going. Some demons go cold after brutal encounters with hunters, or punishment by their own leaders. Some, like Tseng, choose to give up feeding on humans.

The building is set back amidst some row houses, most of which are empty. Tseng’s place, lovingly deemed the Ice Box, has a laughable approximation of a yard in front of it, fenced off from the sidewalk. As soon as Rude opens the gate, he hears the ‘caw’ of a crow perched nearby.

Rude knows the tree that struggles to grow out of this tiny plot of grass is just a place for Cissnei to keep watch from. As soon as the crow signals their arrival, Cissnei drops into view from the gnarled branches above them.

“Hello Mr. Rude.” She’s got her shuriken on her back.

“No need for that,” Rude tells her.

She shrugs. “You’re not the issue. That scarf, however.”

Reno leans forward just to stick his tongue out at her and Rude sees it’s split down the middle. Was it always serpentine like that? 

“I don’t want to be here anyway,” Reno huffs.

Cissnei narrows her eyes. “Then why are you here?”

Reno buries his face in Rude’s shoulder with a muffled, “Abandoning me...”

Rude catches her gaze. “I pulled one of Scarlet’s charms out of him. Says he’s turning over a new leaf, right?”

Reno nods against him, arms tightening.

Cissnei folds her arms. “Looks more like a parasite to me.”

Reno picks his head up to glare at her. “I’m a good demon now.”

Expressionless, she quirks her eyebrow. “Is that why you’re so angry?”

This is Cissnei’s usual test.

Reno hugs Rude even tighter somehow, huffs again.

“I’m... jealous,” he mutters, then adds hushed, “I hate truth demons.”

Cissnei actually looks surprised. “Jealous? Of what?”

“That you know Rude.” Reno makes a noise. “Stop making me say things!”

She laughs at that. “Feisty.”

“And _good_ ,” Reno insists to her. “I made a promise.”

“Are we doing this with the usual understanding?” Cissnei asks Rude.

Rude heaves a sigh. “Yeah.”

“What does that mean?” Reno asks, craning his neck forward to look at Rude.

“It means if you fuck up, that’s on me,” Rude tells him. “I’ll personally have to fix anything you break.”

Reno holds his gaze. “I won’t make you fix anything.” Another glance at Cissnei and he shifts back into a snake.

“Does he pass?” Rude asks.

“For now,” Cissnei answers. “Number 6 just opened up. Tseng will be back soon. You can fill him in yourself.”

Rude nods at her and heads inside with a, “Thanks.”

Up a narrow set of stairs, they find the door marked 6. Reno slides off Rude’s shoulders and opens the door to the small space inside. Half an apartment really, but demons don’t need all the same amenities. Immediately Reno spins to face Rude and says, “I don’t want to go cold again! I hate it. Feels like I’m dying.”

He shivers at that.

“But I want to be good! So, I thought about it. If you let me feed a little bit every now and then, I can be a better hunting partner for you! You have a strong soul, I’d only need a little. Why don’t you let me be your demon? Ya know. For everything.”

Rude blinks as Reno smiles.

The fact is that Rude wants to learn more about Reno, but he knows it’s unwise to let this demon into every part of his life. Rude squares his shoulders and says, “Pick one.”

Reno’s head tilts a little. “One?”

“Either you hunt with me or I keep you warm. Which do you want more?”

-

“I want to hunt with you,” Reno blurts out.

Rude mulls this over for a second, but he nods. “Okay.”

Reno looks relieved. “Good. When do I start?”

Rude laughs, leaning in the doorway of this glorified closet. “Calm down. I’m not a city hunter.”

Reno pouts.

“So?” he asks.

“Well, it means I don’t exactly have a schedule. It’s catch as catch can.”

Reno’s frown deepens. “What does that mean?”

“I hunt as it’s necessary. People come to me. I don’t seek out problems. And I might not need you for every job.”

“Okay.” Reno folds his arms.

“But,” Rude goes on. “That doesn’t mean you can’t be useful to me down here.”

Reno’s face lights up again. “What do you need?”

“Don’t be stupid about it, but I could use a set of eyes and ears in Lower. I don’t want you getting caught again, though. Promise you’ll be careful.”

Reno walks back up to Rude and grabs the front of his shirt. “I promise. I won’t get caught. And I won’t feed on humans.”

“Good.” 

Reno’s gaze is doing something entirely inhuman as he watches Rude. His pupils narrow, turning to slits as he asks, “Do you wanna... summon me?”

Rude wonders if he’s aware of these subtle shifts between human and snake form.

“My sign,” Reno goes on. “So you can call me to you. In case you need help.”

“Yeah.” Rude nods, processing the question. “That sounds useful.”

“Great, give me your arm.” Reno holds his open palms up.

Rude narrows his eyes. “Why do you need my arm? I thought summoning a demon was something you needed materials for? Like a recipe.”

Reno smiles. “True, but if I put my sign directly onto your body, you can just summon me whenever you want.”

“You sure you want me to have that?”

Reno nods, no question. “This way I can keep you safe.”

Rude knows that summons are a one-way street. Reno can’t go through on his own, but Rude can pull him up out of Lower like that anytime. 

He starts to take his jacket off. “This makes us even for your mark on my apartment.”

Reno looks positively gleeful as Rude shuts the door, puts his jacket on the tiny table nearby and rolls his shirt sleeve up over the cap of his shoulder. “Up here?”

Reno smiles. “Sorry. Mine needs to be on your hip.”

Rude tilts his head. “Are you lying?”

“No no! I swear!”

Reno grabs Rude’s hand. “It’s ‘cause I’m a succubus. Different demons can only mark humans in specific spots. You gotta have one in the palm of your hand, and one of your hip, to touch together. I wouldn’t lie. Promise.” His eyes are human again.

Rude opens his palm. “Okay...”

Reno forces a claw back out of his finger and sets it lightly on Rude’s skin. He draws a spiral on Rude’s palm and the sensation is similar to a feed, but not quite the same. Magic sinking into him, but not taking anything. He finishes by pressing a fierce kiss over the design.

Quite suddenly, he drops to his knees and lifts the edge of Rude’s shirt to draw the same spiral just above the waist of his pants. This one he kisses a lot softer and Rude feels the two marks like he’s holding a heat pack against his skin. Reno pulls back and looks up at Rude.

“Need anything else?” he asks.

“No,” Rude answers.

Reno fixes the shirt and stands back up, taking Rude’s hand again just to say, “Call me.”

Rude feels the spiral warm up in response. “Yeah. Stay safe.”

Reno pretends to swoon, hands to his chest, as Rude walks back out the door.

Back on the first floor, Tseng is seated at one of the hightop tables with a book. Rude takes the seat across from him. “Got you another.”

“Yes,” Tseng says. “Not cold yet?”

“No, he fed after I broke Scarlet’s hold.”

“On who?” Tseng asks, looking up. 

“Me.”

Tseng raises his brow.

“Is this going to continue?” he asks. 

Rude takes a breath. “Something’s up with him. Reno. He doesn’t read like a demon. I’m gonna keep an eye on him and see what happens.”

Tseng closes the book he has. “Something is going on down here as well. Demons are getting aggressive.”

“You need a hand?” Rude asks.

“Maybe,” Tseng says. “I’m having trouble with contacts that used to give me no problem. Not sure what to make of it.”

“Maybe Reno can help you,” Rude offers. “Tell him it’ll help me. See what he does.”

Tseng fixes Rude with a sharp look. “Careful.”

Rude nods, but Tseng goes on.

“No, no, I mean it. You say he doesn’t read like a demon. I think you’ve just never met one like him. So. Be careful. You’re right to keep an eye on him, but don’t go trusting something you don’t fully understand.”

Rude sighs. “I know, I know.”

Tseng taps his fingers on his book. “Scarlet hardly bothers with binding these days. Not since she took her little throne. She’s much quicker to eat someone she doesn’t trust. Very interesting. Are you heading back up?”

Rude stands. “Yeah, thanks again.”

Tseng simply nods at him.

As he walks back upstairs to the sunlight, Rude turns over all the information he has. Everything is centered right over Reno and needing to know more about him. 

He feels warmth on his palm, and glances down to see a little spot of blood from Reno’s claw. He licks the drop away.

It tastes like wine.

**Author's Note:**

> @oodleswrites if you want to see me scream about Rude and Reno more often and also for more of these votes~


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